The Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice hosted the first Minisymposium of the Czech Society of Experimental Plant Biology (CSEPB) on 15 June 2026. The event was organized by staff and students of the Department of Experimental Plant Biology (KEBR), led by Martin Janda (KEBR), who is also the Chair of ČSEBR.
The new meeting format was established with the aim of regularly connecting the Czech community of experimental plant biologists, providing a platform for scientific discussion, and presenting current research directions. Approximately 65 participants from universities and research institutions across the Czech Republic attended the event in České Budějovice.
As part of the program, the Jan Krekule Award for lifetime contribution to experimental plant biology was presented for the first time. The award, named after the prominent Czech plant physiologist Jan Krekule, was received by Prof. Jaroslav Doležel from the Institute of Experimental Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences.
Prof. Doležel then presented an opening lecture, in which he reflected on his scientific career and the development of the field to which he has devoted his professional life. He is one of the world’s leading experts in plant cytogenetics and genomics and is considered one of the pioneers in the application of flow cytometry in plant biology. His work has significantly contributed to our understanding of the organization and evolution of plant genomes and has influenced modern research as well as crop breeding worldwide. This year, he was also evaluated by Research.com as the highest-ranked Czech scientist in the field of plant biology and agronomy.
At the Minisymposium, Jan Bartoš and Pavel Hladík (Institute of Experimental Botany CAS), Anna Kampová (VIB Ghent, formerly IEB), Jan Pleva (University of Ostrava), Tito Damiani (Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry CAS), Vanessa Loiacono (Department of Experimental Plant Biology, Charles University), Michal Franěk (CEITEC Masaryk University), and Adam Zeiner (Biology Centre CAS) also gave presentations. The talks covered current research in cytogenetics, genomics, developmental biology, plant physiology, and molecular plant biology.
The first edition of the Minisymposium received positive feedback from participants and demonstrated strong interest within the CSEPB community in this type of scientific meeting. The next Minisymposium will take place on 8 February 2027 at Masaryk University in Brno.
